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PAPUA (New Guinea)

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Stamps of Queensland used in British New Guinea

Some stamps of Queensland were used in British New Guinea, examples:

(barred oval 'BNG' cancel of New Guinea)

PAPUA

1901 Mabara river with native boat, inscription 'BRITISH NEW GUINEA'

  1/2 p green and black
  1 p red and black
  2 p violet and black
  2 1/2 p blue and black
  4 p brown and black
  6 p green and black
  1 Sh red and black
  2 Sh 6 p brown and black

These stamps have watermark 'Lotus Flowers' and are perforated 14. Specialists distinghuish between horizontal and vertical watermark.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Postal stationery in the same design exists, I've seen postcards in the values 1 p red and 1 1/2 p blue, examples:

(Reduced size)

A rare Sperati forgery exists of the 2 Sh 6 p value:

(Sperati forgery, reduced size)

It seems that Sperati only made two of these forgeries! Sperati only forged the frame of this stamp (not the center part). He chemically removed the outer frame from a low valued stamp, leaving the black center design intact. He then printed this high valued outer frame on the remaining genuine paper. Sperati only produced a few forgeries of this stamp.

(Front and backside of a photographic print of a Sperati forgery)

The above pictures are a photographic print of the Sperati Reproduction of the 2 Sh 6 p. The British Philatelic Association acquired Sperati's forgery stock and published a book on his work in the 1950's. The above reproduction was made since not enough forgeries were available to fill all the books. The BPA then used Sperati's actual negatives to produce prints such as the above one. The BPA handstamped this item 'Sperati Reproduction' at the back in violet.

A private reprint made in Germany.

A forger from Hialeah, Florida has made forgeries of at least the 1 Sh stamp (Hialeah forgeries). He has apparently used a computer scanner and printer and his forgeries are not very good. The perforation is very bad, the paper modern, the sizes often wrong and the finer details of the stamps are mostly lost.

(Hialeah forgery, reduced size)

PAPUA

1906 Stamps of 1901 overprinted 'Papua.'

  1/2 p green and black
  1 p red and black
  2 p violet and black
  2 1/2 p blue and black
  4 p brown and black
  6 p green and black
  1 Sh red and black
  2 Sh 6 p brown and black

This overprint exists in two types, one made in Port Moresby and one made in Brisbane (Australia).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1907 Native boat, inscription 'PAPUA'

  1/2 p green and black
  1/2 p olive and green
  1/2 p green
  1 p red and black
  1 p red
  1 1/2 p brown and blue
  2 p lilac and black
  2 p lilac
  2 p lilac and brown
  2 1/2 p blue and black
  2 1/2 p blue and green
  2 1/2 p blue
  3 p blue and grey
  4 p brown and black
  4 p olive
  4 p orange and brown
  5 p brown and grey
  6 p green and black
  6 p brown
  6 p lilac and violet
  9 p violet and black
  1 Sh red and black
  1 Sh yellow
  1 Sh olive and brown
  1 Sh 3 p blue and black
  2 Sh 6 p brown and black
  2 Sh 6 p red
  2 Sh 6 p red and lilac
  5 Sh blue and green
  10 Sh blue and green

Surcharged

  'ONE PENNY' on 1 p green
  'ONE PENNY' on 2 p lilac
  'ONE PENNY' on 2 1/2 p blue
  'ONE PENNY' on 4 p olive
  'ONE PENNY' on 6 p brown
  'ONE PENNY' on 2 Sh 6 red
  'TWO PENCE' on 1 1/2 p brown and blue
  '5 d. FIVE PENCE' on 1 Sh olive and brown
  '9 d. NINE PENCE' on 2 Sh 6 red and lilac
  1 Sh 3 d. on 5 Sh green and violet

Overprinted 'AIR MAIL' (1929)

  3 p blue and brown

Overprinted with aeroplane (1930)

  3 p blue and black
  6 p lilac and violet
  1 Sh olive and brown

For the specialist: this isssue exists with two types of the 'PAPUA' inscription: smaller or larger.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The above stamps with overprint 'Stamp Duty' or similar are fiscal stamps. The following values exist:
Overprint 'Stamp Duty': 1/ 2 p green and black, 1 p red and black, 1 p red, 6 p green and black, 6 p brown and 2 Sh 6 p brown and black.
Overprint 'STAMP DUTY' straight: 1 p red and 6 p brown.
Overprint 'STAMP DUTY' curved: 1 p red and black

('Stamp Duty.' on 2 Sh 6 p )

1932 Various designs, inscription 'PAPUA'

  1/2 p orange and black (Motuan girl)
  1 p green and black (Steve, son of Gala)
  1 1/2 p red and black (tree houses)
  2 p red (paradise bird)
  3 p blue (local person)
  4 p olive (woman with child)
  5 p green and black (masked dancer)
  6 c brown (woman with child)
  9 p violet and black (shooting fish)
  1 Sh green (totem)
  1 Sh 3 p lilac and black (Lakatoi, boat)
  2 Sh green and black (Delta art)
  2 Sh 6 p lilac and black (pottery making)
  5 Sh olive and black (police)
  10 Sh violet (local man)
  1 Pound grey and black (Delta house)

Overprinted 'HIS MAJESTY'S JUBILEE 1910-1935'
  1 p green and black
  2 p red
  3 p blue and black
  5 p green and black 

1934 50 years of British rule

1 p green (raising flag), 2 p red (people on board the Nelson), 3 p blue (as 1 p), 5 p lilac (as 2 p).

1937 King George VI facing the left, inscription 'CORONATION OF KING GEORGE VI' (similar to Territory of New Guinea issue)

  1 p green
  2 p red
  3 p blue
  5 p lilac 

Nauru and The Territory of New Guinea issued similar stamps. For stamps in a different design, issued for most other British colonies, click here

OFFICIAL STAMPS

Some stamps were perforated with 'O S' (1909-1930) to serve as official stamps, later they were surcharged with 'O S' (1931).

Example

The following values exist with 'OS' overprint: 1/2 p green and black, 1 p red and black, 1 1/2 p brown and blue, 2 p lilac and brown, 3 p blue and grey, 4 p orange and brown, 5 p brown and grey, 6 p lilac and violet, 9 p lilac and black, 1 Sh olive and brown, 2 Sh 3 p blue and black, 2 Sh 6 p red and lilac.

AIR MAIL

1938 King George VI facing left with aeroplane, inscription 'PAPUA'

2 p red, 3 p blue, 5 p green, 8 p brown, 1 Sh violet,

1939 King George VI facing in front, with aeroplane, inscription 'PAPUA'

2 p red, 3 p blue, 5 p green, 8 p brown, 1 Sh violet, 1 Sh 6 p olive.

TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA

1925 Local village

  1/2 p orange
  1 p green
  1 1/2 p orange (1926)
  2 p lilac
  3 p blue
  4 p olive
  6 p yellow
  9 p violet
  1 Sh grey
  2 Sh red
  5 Sh brown
  10 Sh red
  1 Pound olive

All these stamps exist with overprint 'AIR MAIL' and image of an aeroplane (issued 1931).

The values 1 p, 1 1/2 p (1927), 2 p, 3 p, 4 p, 6 p, 9 p, 1 Sh and 2 Sh exist with overprint 'OS' (official stamps, issued 1925).

Panelli forgery of the 1 Pound value.

The forger Panelli has made a forgery of the 1 Pound value. In my view, the leaf below the 'G' of 'GUINEA' does not extend far enough upwards in the Panelli forgery.

1931 Paradise bird

With inscription '1921 1931' at the bottom: 1 p green, 1 1/2 p red, 2 p lilac, 3 p blue, 4 p olive, 5 p green, 6 p brown, 9 p violet, 1 Sh green, 2 Sh brown, 5 Sh brown, 10 Sh red, 1 Pound olive.

With inscription '1921 1931' and overprinted with 'AIR MAIL' and image of an aeroplane: 1/2 p orange (does not exists without overprint), 1 p green, 1 1/2 p red, 2 p lilac, 3 p blue, 4 p olive, 5 p green, 6 p brown, 9 p violet, 1 Sh green, 2 Sh brown, 5 Sh brown, 10 Sh red, 1 Pound olive.

With inscription '1921 1932' and overprinted 'OS' (official stamps): 1 p green, 1 1/2 p red, 2 p lilac, 3 p blue, 4 p olive, 5 p green, 6 p brown, 9 p violet, 1 Sh green, 2 Sh brown, 5 Sh brown.

Without '1921 1931' inscription (issued 1932): 1 p green, 1 1/2 p lilac, 2 p red, 2 1/2 p green (1934), 3 p blue, 3 1/2 p red (1934), 4 p olive, 5 p green, 6 p brown, 9 p violet, 1 Sh green, 2 Sh brown, 5 Sh brown, 10 Sh red, 1 Pound olive.

Stamp issued in 1932

Without '1921 1931' inscription and overprinted with 'AIR MAIL' and image of an aeroplane (issued 1932): 1/2 p orange (does not exists without overprint), 1 p green, 1 1/2 p lilac, 2 p red, 2 1/2 p green (1934), 3 p blue, 3 1/2 p red (1934), 4 p olive, 5 p green, 6 p brown, 9 p violet, 1 Sh green, 2 Sh brown, 5 Sh brown, 10 Sh red, 1 Pound olive.

Without '1921 1931 inscription, but with overprint 'OS' (official stamps): 1 p green, 1 1/2 p lilac, 2 p red, 2 1/2 p green (1934), 3 p blue, 3 1/2 p red (1934), 4 p olive, 5 p green, 6 p brown, 9 p violet, 1 Sh green, 2 Sh brown, 5 Sh brown.

Without '1921 1931' inscription with overprint 'HIS MAJESTY'S JUBILEE 1910 1935': 1 p green, 2 p red.

1937 King George VI facing the left, inscription 'CORONATION OF KING GEORGE VI'

  2 p red
  3 p blue
  5 p green
  1 Sh lilac

Nauru and Papua issued similar stamps. For stamps in a different design, issued for most other British colonies, click here

AIR MAIL

Besides the above mentioned overprints, the following airmail stamps exist:

1935 Aeroplane over New Guinea (Bulolo goldfields)

  1/2 p orange
  1 p green
  1 1/2 p lilac
  2 p red
  3 p blue
  4 p olive
  5 p black
  6 p brown
  9 p lilac
  1 Sh
  2 Sh red
  5 Sh olive
  1 Pound grey
  2 Pounds violet
  5 Pounds green

The values 1/2 p to 1 Pound have inscription 'AIR MAIL POSTAGE' at the bottom.

The forger Panelli made forgeries of the values 1 Pound, 2 Pounds and 5 Pounds. The designs are not so nicely done as in the originals.

Panelli forgeries, Panelli also printed the 1 Pound value in a much yellower greenish color (I've also seen an imperforate 'proof' in this color and of the 2 Pounds value).

Modern (very crude) Hialeah forgeries also exist of these stamps.

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea was formed out of the former territories of Papua and New Guinea was an Australian trust territory. It used Australian stamps from 1945 to 1952. In 1952 it issued its own stamps with inscription 'PAPUA NEW GUINEA'.

Example of 1966; butterfly, inscription 'PAPUA & NEW GUINEA'

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer